Lucky Charm
by Lucinda
Summary: Doyle meets Willow, and there is a definite interest.  AU from MidAtS season 1. Series now complete.
1. Lucky Charm

Lucky Charm  
  
author: Lucinda  
  
rating: pg, pg 13?  
  
pairing: Willow/Doyle QPC #18  
  
the QPC site:   
  
disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.  
  
distribution: WLS, NHA, QPC, Bite Me please?, anyone else just ask.  
  
note: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.   
  
Looking at the small leather pouch, sewn with scarlet and pale orange thread in strange patterns that he thought might be runes in some obscure language, Doyle sighed. They'd had a case where they helped a coven of D'Sheber demon-witches, and in repayment they'd granted various magical aids and talismans. They'd removed the clause in Angel's curse, but everyone else had been given one or two small pouches, with carefully distinctive embroidered markings. They had also been told to keep them close until the magic had time to work. Something about a plea for good fortune to come their way...  
  
He wasn't quite certain what the little pouch was supposed to do for him, but... well, he really didn't see any particular area that couldn't use a bit of help. Except for his health, which was good. He shook his head, putting the pouch back over his neck, deciding to just let the magic do whatever good things it was supposed to. He was supposed to go pick up someone from the bus stop, an old friend of Angel and Cordelia's from Sunnydale. Someone named Willow... And she was supposed to be bringing some information and help them out with a bit of magic.  
  
The bus stop was not the sort of place that he'd want to spend a lot of time. It was a bit small and dingy, with a general air of depression and worry. On the bright side, it wasn't the sort of place where there were generally vicious attacks, so that helped a little.  
  
There was a cloud of smoke as the bus arrived, and soon there was a mob of people collecting things and scattering. He just waited, knowing that trying to find someone in the rush would be pointless and frustrating. It seemed to take forever for the crowd to clear, and then he saw the most amazing red hair...  
  
Moving closer, he discovered that the red hair belonged to a young woman, with large hazel eyes and pale skin with a scattering of freckles. She was pretty, and wore a pair of loose jeans and a fuzzy blue sweater, with a dark orangish backpack almost bursting with stuff slung over her shoulder. She was looking around with curiosity, nibbling just a little on her lip.  
  
"Are you Angel's Willow? From Sunnydale?" He asked the question, feeling caught between hope and embarrassment.  
  
She looked at him, her expression nervous. "I'm Willow Rosenberg. You know Angel? That should make you... Doyle, right?"  
  
"I know the brooding lunk. I'm supposed to collect you and bring you over... he couldn't come himself." He felt incredibly self conscious at the moment, and very awkward.  
  
She smiled, one hand gesturing, as if running her fingers through the sunlight. "I didn't figure that he'd be here. I know about his touchy health."  
  
He managed to keep his curiosity in check until they'd sat in his car, and then he couldn't quite keep it in any longer. "How did they rope you into this anyhow?"  
  
"Wesley said there was something placing curses and compulsions of people. And since I am sort of a witch... I've been working on a few things, including a clause free soul for Angel." She looked as if she had dozens of thoughts whirling in her head.  
  
"That might be a bit tricky. Then who would we ask to cast it? Souls are tricky things to work with." He felt a bit of worry, not wanting anything to happen to the young woman.  
  
She giggled just a bit. "Probably me... I did give it back to him after he lost it in Sunnydale. But this thing sort of took a priority over fiddling with the particulars of something that's working... it is still there, right? I mean, someone would tell us if he lost his soul?"  
  
He felt a bit off balance with the casual statement that this girl had given Angel his soul back. She didn't look old enough, or powerful enough... "Of course we'd let you know."  
  
Willow looked over, smiling at him. "That's... good to know." Blushing, she looked away, suddenly very interested in the top of her backpack.  
  
"Do you have a special someone that's hoping you hurry back to Sunnydale then? You seem a bit uneasy there." Doyle wasn't quite certain what prompted the question.  
  
Her laugh was almost bitter. "No. My first crush spent his life pretending I didn't have a crush on him, my first boyfriend... he cheated on me and left town, and my last someone... she had problems with my magic. She said I used it too much... there was a lot of fighting. But no cheating this time."  
  
"She? Does that mean you're only looking among the fairer sex now?" He felt a pang of worry go through him.  
  
"Been there, tried that. I came to the conclusion that it isn't the packaging, it's the person inside. And that I have really bad luck at relationships." She sounded sad, almost wistful. "What about you?"  
  
"I suppose I had the usual early efforts. I was married for a while, but she wanted a divorce after she learned... well, we separated. Then.. well, I just haven't found the right woman I guess." He felt a melancholy pang as he remembered his split with Harriet. She hadn't been able to deal with him being half demon, yet now she was married to a full demon... He would never understand women.   
  
"Why did she want a divorce?" There was just something about Willow... He couldn't ignore the question. Hopefully, since she knew Angel, she wouldn't panic on him.  
  
He could feel himself tensing. "We found out... I didn't know before, but... I'm half demon. On my father's side."  
  
There was a silent pause, and a cautious glance showed that she was looking at him, studying his face with an air of calm curiosity.  
  
"What type of demon? Because, well, you look pretty human." Her words were calm, a bit puzzled, as if she had expected to be able to identify what he was by looking.  
  
"Brakken demon. And normally, I do look human. I can... change my features, or it happens if I sneeze." He wondered what she was thinking.  
  
Willow's fingers tapped over the glove box. "Brakkens... ummm... green, little spikes... sometimes clairvoyant and generally non-aggressive?"  
  
He felt amazed. "Yes... how did you...?"  
  
"Big Watcher books on how to identify just about everything. Name that demon, identify the old prophecy, top ten signs of an attempted apocalypse... the usual assortment." She had a faint smile.  
  
"oh." He wondered how he'd forgotten. The woman worked with a Slayer, for heaven's sake. She could probably identify dozens of demons at a glance.  
  
"My first boyfriend was a werewolf. And Tara... was a witch that might have had a little demon ancestry, we were never quite sure on that count. It isn't a problem unless you let it be." There was something in her smile, some flicker of... could that be interest? Attraction?  
  
Doyle found himself smiling, suddenly a lot more cheerful about Willow's visit. "Maybe if you're still here come Friday, I could take you out for dinner?"  
  
"I think... I think I'd like that." She sounded almost shy, but her eyes were sparkling like jewels.  
  
Hope made his heart beat faster, and he was certain that he was grinning like a madman as they arrived at the Hyperion. "Wonderful."  
  
  
  
end Lucky Charm? 


	2. So Many Changes

author: Lucinda  
  
rating: pg, pg 13?  
  
pairing: Willow/Doyle QPC #18  
  
the QPC site:   
  
sequel to Lucky Charm  
  
disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.  
  
distribution: WLS, NHA, QPC, Bite Me please?, anyone else just ask.  
  
note: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.   
  
  
  
  
  
Willow stepped into the Hotel Hyperion, now no longer a hotel, but the base of operations for Angel and his team. A team that included Doyle. The building was amazing, and she felt a moment of envy. Angel and his people had this huge building, and they just had the Magic Box...  
  
"Willow! It's good that you're here although... hmmm... the blue's a good color for you. Really." Cordelia's smile seemed almost too bright. She wore a brown leather cord wrapped multiple times around her wrist, holding a tiny pouch with purple and scarlet embroidery over it. Maybe some sort of new fashion accessory? She'd also cut her hair, so that instead of a dark cascade down her back, it was a sleek bob just a little below her ears.  
  
She chuckled a little. "I still go for comfort over fashion. I brought a few of Giles' books, and a list of some websites..."  
  
"More heavy books of doom, just what I love to do with my time... Wesley! Willow brought you some of Giles creepy old books." Cordelia sighed, looking at Willow.  
  
Willow wasn't terribly surprised when Angel and Wesley came out together, apparently still discussing something about a ritual of empowerment and something about a Lilah giving them troubles... Angel smiled to see her, and Cordelia gave Wesley a very involved looking kiss... "Apparently things got better for them away from Sunnydale..."  
  
Angel walked closer, holding out his hands for the books. It wasn't until Willow actually handed him the books and looked up into his eyes that she realized something was different with him. He didn't have the same look of brooding torment lurking in his eyes, but instead looked almost... peaceful. "Angel? What... you... I mean..."  
  
"Surprise?" Angel offered the word a bit awkwardly. "Some people that we helped... they didn't have money, but they offered us magical thanks. They... they removed the Clause. I wanted it to be a surprise... Doyle didn't give it away?"  
  
So many emotions swirled through her. Surprise, relief, curiosity, happiness, a tiny thread of disappointment that she hadn't found the answer... "It was definitely a surprise. You aren't... umm... not going to Sunnydale?"  
  
"No. What I had with Buffy... it was intense, but its time is gone. We aren't going to work together, no matter how hard we try, and she has what's his name now, the soldier." Angel shook his head, and looked almost as if the mention of Buffy and Riley was a sour taste in his mouth.  
  
Smiling, Willow made her way over to the computer. "So, you're all permanently souled, and seem to be needing magical help more often... maybe I should just transfer to UCLA next Fall." She glanced over at Doyle as she spoke.  
  
Okay, granted that he was apparently half demon, and probably a good ten years older than her, but he was sort of cute. Cute in that charmingly goofy not quite matching sort of way that Xander had, and sort of quiet and self contained like Oz had been, and smart like Giles... Oh dear. It was like he had some of all the guys that she'd had crushes on before. Even more encouraging, he actually seemed like he might be a little interested in her.  
  
Really though, after everything, what was a few years between ages? And considering the people that she knew, the ones that were the closest that she had to family, the people that were her family in every way but blood, human was relative. Maybe there could be something between her and Doyle after all...  
  
"Might be nice if you stayed around." Doyle's voice was soft, the hint of accent softening the words even more. "For all of us, I mean."  
  
She looked at him, noticing the way his eyes rested on her, with something in them - could it be hope? "Yeah, that might be a good thing."  
  
Change could be a very good thing, right? And Doyle seemed like a nice guy. Maybe Los Angeles would be a very good place to move.  
  
end Lucky Charm 2: So Many Changes 


	3. Changing Luck

author: Lucinda

rating: pg, pg 13?

pairing: Willow/Doyle

third in 'Lucky Charm'

disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please?, Wic, anyone else just ask.

note: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

Friday had arrived, and Willow was still in Los Angeles. Doyle considered that a chance, not quite a sign, but certainly a chance. She knew that he was half demon and didn't seem to care, she knew about things that went bump, and wasn't unreasonably afraid. She was also beautiful.

On the down side, he was probably ten years older than her, and she had a life full of opportunities ahead of her. She should have someone that could help her become everything that she could be. Maybe someone normal.

But she'd been helping a Slayer, had resouled Angel once and was still an active witch. She'd dated a werewolf and a witch. Where was the 'normal' in any of that?

"Just talk to her." Angel muttered. "Stop pacing and mumbling about Willow and go talk to her."

"err..." He blinked, stunned by Angel's words. "Have I been that obvious about it, then?"

"Yes." Angel rubbed at his temples. "She won't push you away for being different. She won't laugh at you. And if you keep pacing and muttering to yourself, I'll have to start calling you Drusilla."

Doyle blinked, wondering if Angel had just made a joke, even if it had been a rather poor one. "Right then, I'll just go talk to her. Assuming that I can find her. Cordelia was threatening to take her out shopping."

He found her in the lobby, curled up on a couch, flipping through the pages of a book. Moving closer, he could se that there was a diagram, some sort of circle with a tree in the middle, inked onto one page. He felt terribly nervous and awkward. "Afternoon, Willow."

"Hey." She smiled, blushing a little. "So, Doyle, umm..."

"Dinner." He winced, deciding to flounder onwards. "I'd like you to have dinner with me tonight. Please?"

For a long moment, she was silent, and Doyle waited in nervous anticipation. What would she say? Would she be interested, or was he just one of Angel's strange friends to her? What if...?

"I think I'd like that." Her voice was soft, and she smiled, looking a bit uncertain herself. "So, this is a date?"

"I was hoping that it could be." He admitted.

Her smile was filled with hope and relief. "Oh, good. It sounded like a date, and I sort of like you, so I was hoping that it was supposed to be a date. Where are we going, should I change into something a little more fancy, a bit dressier?"

"No, you're perfect just the way you are." He reassured, unsure if he meant just the outfit or all of her. "There's a little place I know, sort of a sports bar, though they've got some decent food as well."

She put a scrap of ribbon in the book, closing it. "So, a date. I'm sort of hoping this works out. I haven't had a lot of luck dating before."

He reached up, touching the lump of the lucky charm the witches had given him. "Maybe your luck will change then. I think mine is."

"Shall we find out?" Her hopeful question was soft, as if she was turning over all the ways things could turn out, both good and bad.

Taking her hand, he smiled. "That sounds like a good idea to me."

end Lucky Charm 3: Changing Luck.


	4. Not the End of the Luck

author: Lucinda

content may be similar to the series, with violence involving humans and nonhumans, moderate sexuality, and alcohol, though it probably won't be as serious.

pairing: Willow/Doyle

fourth in 'Lucky Charm'

disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please, Wic, anyone else just ask.

note: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

Willow glared at the calendar. She would have to go back to Sunnydale, and she didn't really want to. She'd rather stay here, in Los Angeles. There weren't the bad memories of her hopeless crushes, or the breakups with Oz and Tara. The people here didn't give her funny looks, like they expected her to burst into tears or fall apart. And Doyle was here.

But she still had to finish the quarter back at UC Sunnydale. If she wanted to transfer to UCLA, it wouldn't do to just drop in the middle of a quarter. She would need to do everything just right. She'd gone to the campus and picked up some papers earlier in the week, and they'd been filled out as much as she could.

"You look a bit unhappy. What did the calendar do?"

"It says I have to go back to Sunnydale." Willow replied, smiling sadly at Doyle. "I really don't want to, but I have to."

"It's not like you'll be gone forever, is it?" He asked, moving to stand beside her. One hand rubbed on her back. "You can still call, maybe visit, right?"

"I suppose so." Willow looked at him. "I think… You seem like a very likable guy."

He smiled, and clutched his hand to his chest. "I knew it! She loves me."

"No I don't." Willow giggled, amused by his antics. "At least, not right now. I think… Maybe I could, in time. I want to have that time to find out."

"That sounds good to me. But how does wanting to find out mean that you have to go away?" He settled on a chair.

"Because if I want to transfer to UCLA, then I have to do things right, which includes finishing the quarter at Sunnydale. The rest of my things are there. I'd need to give my friends a real goodbye." Willow sighed, and glared at the calendar. "I just wish things wouldn't take quite so long."

"I guess if you want things done right, it takes time." He shrugged, and reached out to touch her hand. "But that doesn't make it much easier."

"Maybe I'm just worried about what might go wrong. Every time it looks like things are going to be good for me, something happens to ruin it." Willow murmured.

"Hey now, don't focus so much on the bad parts." Doyle admonished, waving one finger at her. "Besides, we've got a pack of witches that we saved, and they promised to send some good luck our way. I can't see how it would be anything but good luck to have you join us here, so we're all set. They promised good luck, so good luck we will have."

Willow giggled, and moved to give him a quick hug. "Thanks for the encouragement."

"Anytime, sweetling," he replied.

As Willow went upstairs to pack her things for the return trip, she realized that she didn't feel quite so bad. Another month wouldn't be forever. They could still call, and send emails, and visit, demonic and hellmouthy problems permitting. She could do this after all.

"It's time that I stop being afraid of the future." She whispered, and smiled. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to be facing things alone."

Downstairs, Angel walked into the room where Doyle was staring at the calendar. "From that look, I assume Willow has to go back to Sunnydale?"

"That she does," Doyle agreed. "I understand why she's got to go back, but I'm not liking it."

"Willow took the bus to get here." Angel commented, leaning against the wall. "Maybe someone should drive her back to Sunnydale, to make certain she gets there safely."

"Hmmm…. Did you have someone in mind?" Doyle asked.

"Well, I can't, on account of a slight problem with sunlight. Cordelia has an audition tomorrow. That leaves you." Angel smiled, looking far more cheerful than usual. "I think we could all benefit from her moving here."

"So, you're not telling me to leave the poor girl free to find someone her own age?" Doyle queried.

"What I want is for her to be happy, to find someone who won't panic at some of the more colorful things in her life and her past. I think you might be good for her." Angel looked at Doyle before continuing. "And you're smart enough to know better than to cheat on her."

"There was an 'or else' at the end of that, wasn't there?" Doyle swallowed hard.

Angel just leaned against the wall, one corner of his mouth lifting up in an almost smile. "As I said, you're a smart man, Doyle. There didn't need to be one there. But if it ever became necessary… I don't want to see her get hurt. Ever."

"So, because we don't want her to get hurt, you want me to drive her back to the Hellmouth." Doyle shook his head. "Something about that sounds a bit backwards."

For a moment, the room was silent as the two men considered that statement. There was far too much truth in it for either of them to feel quite comfortable.

Then Willow came back down the stairs, shaking her head. "Cordelia and her shopping marathons. There's no way that I can get all of that to fit into any luggage to let me take it back to Sunnydale with me. For that matter, does the bus go there today?"

"No. It looks like someone needs to drive you back, and I'd be delighted to be that someone." Doyle replied, smiling once again.

Willow grinned back. "Thanks. I guess I get to see you for a while longer after all."

"I'm not that easy to get rid of," he teased. "I'll be staying in your life for a while. Hopefully a long while."

"Maybe that's just what I need?" Willow whispered, her hand sliding into his.

End Lucky Charms 4: Not the End of Luck.


	5. Talking About Luck

author: Lucinda

content may be similar to the series, with violence involving humans and nonhumans, moderate sexuality, and alcohol, though it probably won't be as serious.

pairing: Willow/Doyle, mentions of past tense Willow/Tara

fifth in 'Lucky Charm'

disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please, Wic, anyone else just ask.

notes: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

thank you to Gabrielle for taking the time to beta read this one for me - you're the best.

Xander was the first person to notice. She was still quieter than she'd been before Tara had gone away, but not so sad. He kept giving her these puzzled looks during research. Buffy was cheerfully oblivious, as usual, and while Giles fussed a little, he didn't really seem to have any ideas why she was getting over the pain, thinking it was just time.

"So, my bestest pal in the whole world, is there something going on?" Xander asked, walking with her to go pick up some food. "Anything to tell your best buddy about?"

"I'm feeling better," Willow shrugged, and glanced at him. "Why the sudden interest? It's not like everyone was rushing to try and keep me company when Tara left."

"You have the happy smile. That one that says you're thinking of a special someone." He grinned, and put his hand on her shoulder. "You can tell me, did you and Tara get back together?"

"No, Tara and I... we're not together, though she's at least talking to me again." Willow shook her head, sighing. "The time for that is past, and it's not coming back. I've just... It's..."

"You met someone else?" Xander blinked, putting the clues together faster than she'd expected. "But you haven't... either someone else from college, or from that trip to LA. Umm... You aren't... you're not hooking up with Cordelia, are you? Because that would be just too weird."

"No, not Cordelia. She's not my type, I prefer someone a bit quieter, less confrontational about life." Willow chuckled, and grinned at him. "Though she is looking good."

"For the love of God, tell me it's not his undead broodiness." Xander begged, his eyes pleading. "Anyone but him."

"Angel? Eeep, no. Although he's doing better in LA as well, I'm not considering a romantic relationship with him. Besides, he's sort of got a maybe-thing with this police detective. I'm not sure how it'll work out."

"Not that I really care, but why don't you think it'll work?" Xander asked, and then grinned.

"This detective reminds me a lot of an older Buffy. Blond, pretty, confident, and has issues with vampires, but she still thinks he's attractive." Willow shrugged, commenting, "People can be so weird sometimes."

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "And if not the walking dead or my ex, who caught your eye?"

"His name's Doyle. He works with Angel, so he knows about the weirdness that rattles and does ooky things in the night, and he's not repressing. He knows that I'm a witch, and it doesn't scare him." For a moment, she let her mind drift in contemplation of Doyle. "He's a little older, and a little strange, but I like him. He makes me smile and feel special."

"First, how much older are we talking about, and second, does this mean it's love?" Xander looked serious.

"First, it's sweet that you're worried, but since you're involved with Anya, you're in the glass house on this one. He's got about ten years on me, so he's a little older, but not Anya older or Angel older." Willow tried to look serious, be she knew that it wasn't working very well. "And it's not love yet, but it could get there. I like him, and I want to find out if it could be more."

Xander nodded, ducking his head a little. "Okay, I get your point there. But if he breaks your heart, I'm going to have to hurt him. Anya's got lots of ideas, and she'd probably help just for the reminder of old times."

"Thanks for what is probably completely unneeded concern." Willow gave Xander a quick hug and smiled. "I'm planning to transfer to UCLA next quarter. After all, you know how Buffy keeps trying to push us away, saying we should get out and have normal lives while we can?"

"If this Doyle guy works with Angel, I don't see normal happening. And what do you mean, you're leaving?"

"Buffy thinks we can just walk away from all of this and forget, just be normal." Willow shook her head, wondering how Buffy could get such a strange idea. "After everything, Sunnydale hurts. There's so many bad memories, and with the Initiative here, it's not like she needs us as much as she used to."

"What about me? Were you just planning to vanish?" Xander sounded hurt, almost sulky.

"Xander," She glared at him, feeling exasperated. "First off, if I was planning to just vanish, would I tell you that I'm planning to change colleges and where I plan to go? Second, there's this newfangled invention called the telephone, just in case the old-fashioned idea of writing letters doesn't appeal to you. And third, do you really want to marry Anya and try to raise a family over the Hellmouth?"

"Ummm... no. Hellmouths have been found to be bad for children and everyone else." Xander sighed, and looked sheepish. "Overreacting, right?"

"I know it's only because you care," Willow smiled. "Unless there's big evil in LA this weekend, Doyle's coming to visit me. You can meet him then."

"So, after Oz and Tara, now you're taking a chance with this older guy. Well, I've got Anya." Xander grinned, and glanced at the horizon. "Who would have seen this one, a few years back?"

"Expect the unexpected should be our motto, considering where we live. Besides, considering everything, I don't think either of us would be happy with someone who didn't know what's out there." She took a deep breath, and then looked at Xander. "There's something else about Doyle, and I want you to try not to freak out, okay?"

"Okay..." Xander frowned, stopping outside the Espresso Pump. "What am I not going to like about this guy?"

"He's divorced, and the reason for the divorce was that they found out he's half Brakken demon." The words rushed out, and she looked at her friend, eyes pleading with him to be calm.

"Umm." Xander blinked, clearly trying to put thoughts in order. "Have we seen one of those here?"

"No, they're non-violent. A lot of them also have some clairvoyant or precognitive abilities. Doyle gets visions of people that Angel needs to help." Willow explained, and then looked at her friend. "I think he could make me happy, Xander."

"I got to tell you, this wasn't what I was expecting." Xander shook his head, obviously choosing his words carefully. "I think I'm a bit freaked out by it, but... If he makes you happy, if he's not dangerous, I can deal. But still, if he breaks your heart or hurts you, I'm going to hurt him back."

Willow grinned at him, feeling relieved. "Good. I mean, not good that you're freaked, but good that you're trying to deal. Anya wasn't anybody that I was expecting for you, but... We're trying to deal with her and all that she says and does and did. Who really turns out to be everything that we expected anyhow?"

"I'm looking forward to meeting this guy." Xander said, and then pushed the door open. "Now, we need caffeine and sugar, or else someone's going to fall down for a nap over those old books and something bad will happen that we don't know how to deal with."

"I guess so," Willow shook her head ruefully. "Sunnydale really doesn't ever let up, does it?"

"Not really."

end Lucky Charm 5 - Talking About Luck


	6. the Luck of Home

author: Lucinda

content may be similar to the series, with violence involving humans and nonhumans, moderate sexuality, and alcohol, though it probably won't be as serious.

Primary pairing: Willow/Doyle

Sixth in 'Lucky Charm' series

Disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

Distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please, Wic, anyone else just ask.

Notes: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

Doyle tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the song playing on the radio. He was visiting Willow this weekend, something which made him feel all hopeful and fluttery. She was charming, and while they weren't there yet, he could see himself falling in love with her.

Willow wasn't very much like Harriet, but sometimes he wasn't certain if the man he was today was very much like the man that had fallen for Harry. He'd changed, and not all of it in ways that he was quite proud of. He was trying to be a better man for Willow while desperately hoping that she didn't decide that someone else was the better man or woman that she was looking for. If things went well, Willow would be moving to LA next month, and they could spend a great deal more time together.

He parked in the small lot near a group of stores, and started towards them, stretching his legs. Glancing at the sign that proclaimed the store was called 'the Magic Box', he shook his head and stepped inside.

Incense, scented oils and herbs combined to make a powerful scent inside, and he sneezed twice, ducking his head in the hopes that nobody would see anything unusual. After all, not only was there a Slayer in the area, most people would panic at a green face with blue spikes.

"You must be Doyle," a man's voice, from among the rows and shelves of merchandise.

Looking up, he saw a young man about Willow's age, with dark hair. The man was just looking at him, with this odd expression of curiosity and suspicion. He looked a bit familiar, and Doyle thought about the few pictures from Sunnydale that he'd seen from Cordelia and a few sketches that Angel had made. "Are you Xander?"

"Yeah. Which I'm going to take as you're Doyle, the guy Willow's talking about. She's pretty sure that you're a good guy," Xander's frown hinted that he wasn't certain that he agreed.

"Have I done something to be making you doubt me? I only just got into town," Doyle protested.

"She's been my best friend since kindergarten, so I have seniority and I get to deliver the talk," Xander had a little grin that somehow was entirely lacking in amusement. "Buffy wanted to, but I convinced her this was my job."

"What talk would that be?" He glanced around the shop, moving away from the door with the full certainty that Xander would follow.

"Willow can make up her own mind who she chooses to date, and that's none of my business. But know this, Doyle who works with Angel in LA," Xander leaned closer, staring into Doyle's eyes. "If you hurt Willow, I will make the rest of your life very short, very painful, and nobody will find your body. Ever."

Doyle could feel the sincerity rolling from Xander. Despite the fact that the young man was entirely human, allegedly normal, and two hours away from where he generally lived, Doyle held no doubts about Xander's ability to carry out his threat. Sometimes, pure determination could make up for quite a lot. "I'll be keeping that in mind, but I've no intentions of hurting her."

"Good. Willow is very important to us, and we do our best to take care of our own," Xander explained, the words half warning.

"Xander, are you… Did you just give Doyle some variation of the shovel talk?" Willow sounded less than happy.

"Your friend was just having a few words with me," Doyle smiled at her, delighted to see her for far more than the hope that her presence would change the topic. He stepped to her, wrapping his arms around her with a smile. "It's good to see you again."

Willow sighed and snuggled into his arms, murmuring, "I missed you."

Pulling back a little, she waved a finger at Xander. "Shovel talk delivered, the threats are over. That also goes for Anya and Buffy. Giles gets one because he's Dad, but you don't get another one until the next visit."

"Okay, but An's going to be a little disappointed. He's a new audience, and he's already in the know, so… I think she was looking forward a little." Xander shrugged trying to look as if he hadn't just threatened painful death.

"I said she couldn't threaten him, not that she couldn't talk," Willow giggled before looking up at him. "Anya can be a bit much, but most of the time she means well, and she's had a lot to adjust to."

"Wait, is this the same Anya who brought a strange vampire into Sunnydale? Cordelia didn't say too much, but something about that one really got to her. If this is the same woman, how did she end up working here?" Doyle blinked in confusion, remembering Cordelia going on about a vengeance demon, a wish, an ugly necklace with a gaudy pendant, and a scary vampire in leather. In his experience, leather wasn't exactly uncommon for vampires, so he didn't understand the confusion.

"Yeah, but she's settled down a lot now that she doesn't have her powers anymore. She's been dating Xander." Willow shrugged, and tugged him towards the back. "I would have thought that she'd forgotten all about the vampire though, there's been so much time since that happened."

"Hey, nobody's going to forget VampWillow," Xander retorted. "The only thing she had in common with you was the hair."

Willow blushed, mumbling something about shoes and cages. Doyle was rather curios what sort of connection there could have been, or maybe he'd just heard her wrong. "I take it you'd rather not talk about her just now?"

"I can think of a lot of things that I'd rather talk about instead of her," Willow glared at Xander, and then sighed. "Come on back, I might as well start the introductions. Don't take the impending threats personally, we're just a bit overprotective at times."

"Considering what sort of things you do here, what you fight and what the stakes are, I can understand a bit of over-protectiveness." Doyle commented, following her to the back room.

Gesturing towards a woman cheerfully ringing up someone's purchases, Willow commented, "That's Anya. She's dating Xander, and normally runs the register here."

"She seems a bit more ordinary than I would have expected, considering what Cordelia said about her." Doyle glanced at the cheerful woman, wincing as the order came to well over two hundred dollars, closer to three. She certainly didn't look like a thousand year old vengeance demons.

"She's human now, it makes her look a bit more blendy," Willow offered, and then frowned. "She's still getting used to human limits, and human discussion topics. You can expect at least four gory reminincings about her old job and two discussions of her sex life before the weekend's over, and probably two or three ideas about how the shop could make more money."

"Ahh," Doyle didn't really have any idea what to say in response to that. "I guess this trip will be a bit more interesting than I'd expected."

Willow leaned forward, kissing him. "I hope the trip isn't all bad."

"I wouldn't say that at all," he breathed. Kissing her, Doyle smiled, "Parts of it are quite enjoyable."

"Good." Willow smiled, and leaned into him. "I just hope Sunnydale doesn't scare you away from me like it did with Tara."

"That's part of why I'm luring you away, isn't it?" Doyle murmured.

"Yeah," Willow admitted. "Sunnydale doesn't just kill people, it kills hopes and dreams and relationships."

"I'm her for you," Doyle whispered. "I promise."

End Lucky Charm 6: the Luck of Home.


	7. Call It Luck

author: Lucinda

content may be similar to the series, with violence involving humans and nonhumans, moderate sexuality, and alcohol, though it probably won't be as serious.

pairing: Willow/Doyle, mentions of past tense Willow/Tara

seventh in 'Lucky Charm'

disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please, Wic, anyone else just ask.

notes: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

Willow hung up the phone with a wistful sigh. Talking with Doyle was nice, and she missed him. If she could only be in LA with him right now...

But she was here, in Sunnydale. She was taking the responsible path and staying here a little longer so that she could move there and build a stronger future. Next week she'd be moving to LA, transferring in to a different college. The fact that it happened to be close to her boyfriend was a benefit.

She hadn't expected to think about things like that again, after Oz had left. To have a boyfriend factor. When she'd become involved with Tara, everything had tilted, and while she wasn't alone, she walked through life with a different perspective. A pair of girls holding hands and kissing got different reactions than a girl and a guy. Tara had been all soft curves and shy smiles, not like Oz had been.

She still loved Tara, even though the chaos of Sunnydale had been too much for Tara. In the aftermath of Glory, Tara had broken up, teary eyes and with many apologies, and moved away. She's said something about New York, and made a weak joke about looking for the White Queen, but it had hurt. Even though Willow understood that Tara just couldn't face the horrors and dangers of the Hellmouth every day, even though they'd promised to try to stay friends, it hurt. Every day.

She still loved Oz, even though he'd cheated on her and left. Even though he'd slept with Veruca, lied to her, tried to hide his infidelity. Even though he hadn't tried to work things out, had taken the easy way and left. She didn't think she'd ever be willing to trust Oz with her heart again, though she still cared about him. She wished that he'd write, or send a postcard, a phone call once in a while to know that he was still alive. Nothing ever came, and she hoped that Oz was still alive in more than her memories.

Her former hopeless crush on Xander had faded, and while she loved him, it was only as a friend, or maybe like family. She doubted that he'd ever figured out how much she'd wanted them to be more. Considering the way things had turned out, she wouldn't ever tell him. At least he'd write and stay in touch with her.

The phone rang again, an annoying distraction from her melancholy thoughts. Picking it up, she sighed, "Hello?"

:Willow? I was trying to figure out where you were going to be staying.: Cordelia's voice came through clearly.

"Well... Buffy thinks I should get a dorm room, though I'm not sure why," she sighed, and gave a little chuckle. "I checked with the college, and not only are all the dorms full, it would run me about the same as an apartment, and the ones here not only don't have a kitchen, but the walls are really thin and I can hear everything the neighbors are doing."

:Is that everything or everyone: Cordelia's question held a bit of bite.

"Both, and I don't want my neighbors hearing either one," Willow retorted. "I think I'm going to take Angel up on that offer and take over one of the rooms at the Hyperion. He said I can toss in some researching or the mystical mojo on occasion instead of paying money for rent. Much better than paying rent in blood, which was Xander's not so funny joke. Or maybe he was being all concerned, I'm not sure. He made me promise to take a copy of the soul spell, leave another copy here with Giles, and another one with him, and I had to find two Orbs of Thesullah before Xander agreed to help me move."

:Two? The ritual only takes one: Cordelia asked.

"One to take with me, and another to leave here in Sunnydale," Willow explained. "He's just trying to keep me a little bit safer, and he's really, really glad that me dating Doyle means that I'm not dating Angel."

:I guess that might not be a bad idea. And hey, once you stay there long enough, the hotel suites get nifty little personal space anti-vamp barriers. I can show you the best places to go shopping for newer furniture, and some better clothes.: Cordelia offered.

"New clothing, yay," Willow muttered. "Seriously, it's nice of you to offer, I don't know my way around LA. But I still want to look like me, not me in someone else's clothes."

:You've been good for him, you know.: Cordelia's statement had no connection to clothing, and there was an odd wistfulness to the words.

"What? Who…" Willow tried to sort out what Cordelia actually meant. "Do you mean Doyle? He's been a sweet-heart from the start."

:Sweet… I guess so. But he doesn't complain as much about the visions now.: Cordelia paused, and there was the faint sound of words directed elsewhere. :He used to drink. I think after his divorce, he was afraid that nobody would ever be able to love him, because of his father.:

"That's ridiculous! He's great. Maybe not perfect, but neither am I, so that's fine. He's smart, and sweet, and caring, and loyal and brave…" Willow paused, taking a breath to calm herself. "He's everything I didn't think I could find in a man. I don't know what I'd do without him, and I hope I never have to find out."

:That's sweet.: For a moment, there was quiet and a soft sniffle. :We can help you move your stuff into a nice room on the third floor of the Hyperion. The guys have been making sure it's all fixed up and perfect looking. We're all looking forward to having you in LA with us.:

"I'm really looking forward to being in LA. And not just because of Doyle, I think I could have talked him into moving somewhere with me if I'd tried," Willow chuckled. It still seemed extremely weird that she was looking forward to moving close to Cordelia. But it wasn't to be near Cordelia, or to help fight evil, it was to be with Doyle. She would attend a better school, have people that would understand Sunnydale, and be away from her painful memories of Oz and Tara and all the death and pain they had suffered.

:I'm glad you didn't try: Cordelia's voice was softer than normal. :I'm glad the two of you found each other. If you weren't so sweet together, I'd be jealous.:

"We were lucky. Admit it, you and I both have seen some spectacularly unlikely stuff happen, why not have something good happen for once?" Willow smiled as she thought about Doyle.

:Yeah, lucky. I'll see you this weekend: Cordelia hung up the phone.

Willow smiled as she put the phone down. She really was lucky to have found Doyle. He was everything that she'd wanted, and he loved her. Now, the only thing left to hope was that nothing came along to ruin their happiness.

End Lucky Charm 7: Call it Luck.


	8. Comfortable

author: Lucinda

content may be similar to the series, with violence involving humans and nonhumans, moderate sexuality, and alcohol, though it probably won't be as serious.

pairing: Willow/Doyle, mentions of past tense Willow/Tara

eighth in 'Lucky Charm'

disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please, Wic, anyone else just ask.

notes: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

Willow sighed, tucking one last book onto the shelf. She was here, in LA, preparing to go to a different college where she wouldn't know anybody, with a room in Angel's hotel. Instead of paying rent, she would be helping with research and magic for slaying, though without Buffy. For a moment, she wondered if it was still called slaying without a Slayer, but decided that if not, slaying was close enough.

"Getting everything settled in, Willow?" Doyle's voice called from outside the door.

"Mostly. I've got everything out of boxes at least," Willow replied.

The door swung open, revealing Doyle, in his comfortable, slightly worn clothing. "And did you stop to get something to eat during this unpacking?

"Ummm..." Willow blushed, trying to think about that. Had she actually paused for food?

"I'm thinking that means no. Come on; let's go out for dinner. I know a place that does great Chinese, or we could get some pizza..." he tempted.

"Chinese is good," Willow replied, standing up. Her head felt funny for a few moments, and her vision darkened just a little. How long had it been since she'd remembered to eat something? Apparently much too long, if she was feeling like this. "You'd better drive. I don't even know where this place is."

"Of course, my lady," Doyle replied, holding his arm out to her.

She smiled, and they made their way to a car, and Willow moved a stack of mail to the back seat before settling into the passenger side and fastening her seat belt. "I just hope the soup isn't too salty.

She just leaned back, trying to relax as he drove. There were no hairpin turns or squeals of tires, making him a better driver than both Buffy and Cordelia. Soon enough, the car came to a halt, tucked into a parking spot along the street.

The place had a sign, with oriental characters in green glowing overhead, a few places showing white where the paint had fallen from the sign. It was a simple brick building in a row of identical brick buildings. Honestly, it looked a bit dingy, but she could smell the food, and it smelled wonderful.

"Any idea what the sign says?" Willow asked, glancing at them. They looked almost familiar, but she'd never learned to read any of the eastern languages.

"Peaceful Ogre," Doyle replied, and then added, "It's run by a demon family. Second generation residents, and pretty decent people, but they'd rather nobody start any fights inside, so the sign basically says that it's a no fighting area."

Willow nodded, following him inside the building. She could see a couple waitresses, with smooth bluish green skin and falls of shining black hair. One had a pair of neat, black horns raising strait up, like an antelope, and she could see that another had small tusks, the tips just barely rising over her upper lip. Behind the counter, a huge green man with horns like a bull wielded a pair of cleavers, dicing meat for a smaller, bluish woman to cook with.

"Yikes," Willow murmured, looking at the couple behind the counter. "It looks like it would be dangerous to start a fight in here."

"They swear that they've never used the customers as ingredients," Doyle grinned at her.

"Good to know, but who wants to hassle a cook that's three times as big as most people? Especially one with big, sharp knives?" Willow glanced around. "Do we seat ourselves, or wait?"

"Please follow me to a table," answered one of the waitresses, her skin a little more green than blue. "And most people think Dad looks too big and scary to bother."

Willow followed, feeling like her head was about to combust. Bad enough that she'd been caught staring at the cook by one of the staff, but it was a family restaurant, the person who caught her was the cook's daughter, and oh... the ground could open up and swallow her any time now. She wouldn't mind too much.

"Don't worry so much," Doyle commented. "So, any ideas on what you'll have for dinner?"

Willow opened the menu, part of her wanting to just find one of the few things that she always ordered in Sunnydale, and part of her insisting that every eastern restaurant made things just a little different, so everything would be new anyhow. Finally, she settled on the Szechwan beef, and when the waitress came back, they placed their order. Doyle asked for the Sweet and Sour pork.

"You might want to try the pork, it's really good," he offered.

Willow shook her head. "I don't think I'll be trying that. I... well, my family's Jewish, and while I don't worry so much now about keeping kosher, there's some old habits that die hard. I don't eat pork. I do keep Passover."

"Jewish?" Doyle blinked, and then grinned. "So, you were raised Jewish, fought alongside a Christian Slayer, and now you're... what, pagan?"

"No, but my girlfriend was," Willow commented. "I don't know what I'd call myself now."

"As an Irishman, I was raised Catholic, and Angel probably was too," Doyle observed. With a small smile, he chuckled, "I'm recovering nicely. Part of that being that some things are rather hard to bring up in Confession."

"Would that be the visions, the part where you're half demon, or the working for a vampire part?" Willow asked, feeling lighter inside, as if she could float.

"Any of that. Most of them have the very straight and narrow experiences, they don't know about the not-so human, and they aren't wanting to know either." Doyle seemed a little sadder as he explained.

Willow nodded, thinking about her own colorful and hard-to-explain past. Hanging out in the library, knowing what, when and how the assorted teachers had died, breaking into the morgue, hacking databases, conspiring to blow up the school and mayor... "Sometimes life gets weird."

"I'm sorry to drag you into this," Doyle murmured.

"No, I got dragged into this a long time ago," Willow insisted. "When I'm with you... it feels like it's not quite so bad. Almost comfortable."

"So, you're comfortable around me?" Doyle grinned. "That's not a bad thing at all..."

Willow smiled back, thinking that it was actually a rather good thing. He made her feel good, and comfortable with herself, with her place in the world.

For once, life was good. Not okay, considering. Not better than it could have been. She felt good about her life, and about Doyle.

end Lucky Charms 8: Comfortable.


	9. A Bright Future

author: Lucinda

content may be similar to the series, with violence involving humans and nonhumans, moderate sexuality, and alcohol, though it probably won't be as serious.

pairing: Willow/Doyle, mentions of past tense Willow/Tara

ninth in 'Lucky Charm'

disclaimer: I own nobody from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series.

distribution: WLS, NHA, Bite Me please, Wic, Mystifying Dreams, Mental Wanderings - anyone else just ask.

notes: AU. Hero never happened. Cordelia hooked up with Wesley, and Doyle's crush on her faded.

Doyle looked over his apartment, making certain that everything was ready for Willow to visit later that night. No dirty dishes in the sink, not dirty clothing thrown on the floor, no smutty magazines out in the open. He'd draped a blanket over the back of the couch in the hopes that it would make it look a bit less worn and faded. "Well, I think it's not going to get much better."

Willow had been good for him. For the first time in far too long, his life wasn't something that would have been incomprehensible to the man that he'd been ten years ago. The part where he was working with a vampire would have been a bit strange and alarming, but things weren't so bad. He didn't drink so much anymore, his apartment wasn't a permanent disaster, he didn't let his clothing stay in a state of rumpled mess, and he had hope.

Better still, unlike Harriet, Willow wasn't running away from the fact that he was half demon. She'd been more worried about the guy part than that, considering that her last lover had been a woman. Part of him still worried that one day, she'd wake up and decide that she wanted another woman, and drop him, walking out of his life like Harriet had done.

There was a knock on the door.

He managed not to leap for the door, and took a careful breath as he unfastened the chain, his hands trembling. "Willow. Just a moment while I finish unlocking everything…"

He opened the door, smiling at Willow. She didn't look right in his hallway, too amazing and sweet and charming for this miserable apartment complex. "You're perfect…"

"I'm glad you think so, even if I wouldn't go that far," she smiled, and stepped into his apartment. "So this is your place…"

Doyle nodded as she looked around. He tried to calm his nerves, insisting that if she'd been staying in a college dorm, this couldn't be that bad. The dorms that he remembered would easily fit inside his living room, and he'd been able to hear everything his neighbors had been up to. "I know it's not much…"

"But it feels lived in," Willow mused.

Doyle winced, his eyes drawn to some of the stains on the carpet. The couch was worn and battered, the chair didn't match, he had an ugly landscape on the wall to cover the cracked plaster… "Sorry about that."

"That wasn't supposed to be an insult," she caught his hand, and took a step towards him. "It's just… My parents' house never felt like a home. It felt more like a display or a hotel room. Buffy's house was a home, but not my home, if that makes sense."

"I suppose that it does make sense," he agreed. Tugging on her hand, he walked over to the couch, settling on the end. "Of course, there's some room for improvement about this one."

"I can't do much for the furniture being old, but I found a great spell for getting rid of stains. Even the sort of strange and icky things that Buffy found on patrol." Willow offered, her eyes sparkling. "It might help the carpet some."

"Is it complicated?" Doyle murmured, enjoying the way that she fit so nicely on his lap. "Does it take a great deal out of you?"

Willow waved her hand, murmuring something that sounded Greek, and there was a ripple through the air. He felt a tingle that went down to his bones, and it felt for a moment like the air was too thick to breathe. "The carpet should look better now."

He glanced down, uncertain what he would see. He'd definitely felt her magic, but she'd also mentioned that sometimes her spells didn't go quite as expected. She'd used the word 'wonky', and it had been paired with a small shudder. A pale expanse of light blue carpet covered the floor, looking fluffy and soft. For the first time that he could remember, it looked like the sort of carpet that it might be nice to lay down and relax on. The words slipped out of his mouth, "It's blue."

"Did I mess that up?" Willow's voice was low, and she nibbled at her lip. "I thought it looked more of a gray before…"

Doyle honestly didn't know or care if it had originally been blue or gray or even brown. "It looks good. Really. The carpet looks good, and I doubt that anyone's going to be caring if it was a different color before."

"If you're sure that it's not a problem…" Willow smiled, and leaned against his shoulder. I think I'll stay here for now."

"Comfy?" He smiled, arms sliding around her.

"Uh-huh," Willow shifted a little, snuggling up against him. "Here's good. I like being here with you, and your shoulder's comfy enough to stay for quite a while."

"Have I told you how happy I am that you were willing to move to L.A. to be with me?" Doyle murmured, running his fingers through her hair.

"It wasn't just for you, it was for us. To see if we can be as good together as it feels like we are. To give this a chance." Willow's breath was warm against him, and her hand wrapped around his ribs.

"For us," he repeated, smiling at the thought. "Does this mean that we might build a future together? Long term?"

"That would be nice," Willow murmured. "Maybe we could get married, try to have some kids…not too soon, I am still in college, and I'll want a job. Something normal and with a steady paycheck, not like what Angel's doing."

Doyle blinked, her words seizing his imagination and making his heart race. Here he was worried that his apartment would scare her away, and she was already contemplating the pair of them married and pondering when would be good to have children! "Children… you don't mind that they'd be a quarter demon?"

"They'd be ours," Willow insisted. "But I'm in no rush for kids yet, I'm still kind of young for that."

Doyle just smiled, holding her against him. "Fair enough. I think I like your ideas about the future though. Together, married, thinking about children…"

"We'd need a bigger place first. More room. And I would want at least two, maybe three – it's awfully lonely as an only child, and I wouldn't want that for my," Willow paused, glancing up to meet his eyes, "our children."

"A good point," Doyle murmured. "Quite the enjoyable future that we're planning out here. A nice house, a happy family… What more could anyone ask for?"

"I can't think of anything else, unless maybe it would be for our friends to be as happy as we hope to be," Willow smiled, and then paused. "That sounded way sappy, didn't it?"

"Very," he agreed. "I still want that future."

As he held Willow in his arms, contemplating the lovely future they were planning, he didn't notice the small, embroidered lucky charm pulse with a faint golden light. He didn't notice the warmth of it, dismissing the pleasant feeling as a result of having Willow snuggled up with him. His mind was fixed on the future, and how splendid he hoped it would be.

end Lucky Charm 9: A Bright Future.

end Lucky Charm series.


End file.
